In order to cock a crossbow in preparation for firing the same, the string must be pulled toward a trigger assembly. When such is being accomplished, sufficient force must be exerted to bend the limbs of the crossbow which carry the string. Once the string is engaged by the trigger assembly, the trigger safety is activated. Then an arrow may be loaded in the crossbow with its back end in contact with the string, the trigger safety may be disengaged, and the trigger pulled to release or shoot the arrow.
The force required to cock the crossbow in this fashion has consistently been a problem for the crossbow user. Specifically, despite the use of compound bows with cams that attach the string to the limbs, the force required to cock a typical crossbow often exceeds one hundred pounds. As a result, many devices have been designed to assist in the cocking of a crossbow.
The most sophisticated of these devices is an essentially automatic cocking machine which is attached to the stock of a crossbow and by means of a motorized rope system, the crossbow may be cocked as previously described. In lieu of being motorized, these cocking devices can also be operated by means of a hand crank. While these automatic or hand cranked devices operate satisfactorily, they are somewhat expensive, add additional weight, and they are bulky when attached to the stock of the crossbow.
A more traditional and less expensive cocking system is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,956. In this type of system, a connector which includes a hook and a pulley, is hooked onto the string on each side of the stock of the crossbow. A rope is received around one pulley, around the butt end of the stock, and around the other pulley. The rope is then pulled at both ends to draw the string and cock the crossbow.
While this system enables one to more easily cock a crossbow than could be accomplished totally manually, it is not without its problems. For example, as the string is being drawn, the connectors will tend to ride heavily against the sides of the crossbow stock. Such not only adds friction to the cocking process, but also, more significantly, the connectors can often engage the trigger safety to activate the same before the string reaches the trigger. Such will then prevent the string from being engaged by the trigger or will give the user the false sense that the string has been engaged. In addition, the rope is not guided as it passes over the butt end of the stock, and because the butt end of the stock of a crossbow is usually not on the same plane as the bow string, the rope can easily slip off of that end.
As a result, the need exists for a crossbow cocking system which is affordable and yet which is not plagued with the problems of the prior art systems.